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Princeton Election Consortium
Sam Wang is founder of the Princeton Election Consortium at Princeton University, where he is also Professor of Neuroscience and Molecular Biology.
PROFILE
Sam Wang
Guest
FROM Sam Wang
To the Point
New evidence of excitement with only a day to go Some Red and Blue states may be turning purple in an increasingly polarized nation. Early voting and absentee ballots provide tea leaves for prognosticators, but there's still no consensus, despite what may be the largest turnout in history. It's not just the White House. Control of the Senate is also at stake. Incumbent Republicans have sent mixed messages about Donald Trump, while Democrats are working closely with Hillary Clinton's campaign. Massive turnout by Latinos could be crucial in several states. And the FBI is involved as never before. We have a round up.
To the Point
Confused by political polling? You're not alone. On the average, national polls show that Hillary Clinton will likely defeat Donald Trump in next month's election. Trump's response is familiar. "They are phony polls put out by phony media and I'll tell you what all of us are affected by this stuff and what they do they try and suppress the vote that way people don't go out and vote but we're winning this race. I really believe we are winning" But, from time to time, polls show Trump doing better. Some news media report there's a close race, and Trump can claim he'll be the eventual winner. So how's a prospective voter to know how the election is really going? Is political polling an art or a science? We talk to some leading practitioners about how they come up with numbers that can influence the ultimate outcome — whether they're right or wrong.
To the Point
Are Polls Trumping Political Reality? In a speech in South Carolina today, Donald Trump gave out the personal cell phone of Lindsay Graham, that state's US Senator and a fellow candidate for President. Trump also called Graham a "lightweight" and "an idiot." The Des Moines Register's editorial board has called Trump a "feckless blowhard" and asked him to drop out of the presidential primary. Today's Washington Post/ABC News poll shows Trump leading the field of 16 candidates—with 24%, the biggest showing any candidate has made so far this year. Yet the same survey shows that Republicans don't share Trump's views — even on immigration — and 54% say he doesn't reflect Republican values. Other surveys show the same contradiction. Is it all about saturation news coverage, or is something wrong with the polls? The question's especially important this year when the first debate will include only the ten candidates with the biggest numbers.
To the Point
Gerrymandering and Political Gridlock on Capitol Hill Republicans warned about voter fraud in last year's elections, while Democrats said the big threat to a fair outcome was voter ID. But the real crime was gerrymandering, the re-drawing of Congressional district boundaries so that Republicans got a much bigger majority than they deserved. That's according to a Princeton scientist who wants the task of reapportionment every ten years transferred from state legislatures to independent commissions. Are the Red States of the South less Red than they appear to be? Is gerrymandering the reason Congress can't get anything done?
Which Way, L.A.?
The Race is Even and the Stakes are High There's a lot at stake in tomorrow's election but, despite the claims of campaigns for the presidency and other national offices, the results are unlikely to bring about much immediate change.
To the Point
The Race Is Even and the Stakes Are High Both parties claim they'll take the nation in different directions, but Washington gridlock will likely continue whether Barack Obama or Mitt Romney is in the White House. But this could still be a "milestone election” as Democrats and Republicans strive to build new coalitions in a racially changing nation. In the meantime, national polls show the race for the White House is neck and neck, while polls of battleground states make Obama the favorite. We look at ground game established five years ago and the mathematics of the Electoral College.
Recommended
To the Point
White House budget proposal slashes and burns President Trump's first budget request is considered dead on arrival in Congress — a familiar development in Capitol Hill. We hear what it reveals about the priorities of the new administration. What's likely to die… and what might survive?
To the Point
Ex-FBI Director Comey tells his side of the story Today, former FBI Director James Comey came close to calling the President who fired him a liar. The White House denied the claim and called it insulting, but Republican Senators did not challenge Comey’s truthfulness. Many questions remain: did the President try to obstruct a federal investigation? Later, we’ll go behind the “velvet rope” for a look at 5-Star health care for the richest Americans.
To the Point
Human Rights in the era of Donald Trump President Trump’s UN Ambassador, Nikki Haley, said today the US might pull out of the United Nations’ Human Rights Council. Serious violators of human rights are members of the Council itself–and a US resignation could make things worse. Later on today’s show, now that he’s into his second term, comedian turned US Senator Al Franken is telling jokes again.
To the Point
Trump's 'America First' goes missing abroad In the Middle East, President Trump is changing some policies of the Obama Administration—and reversing his own campaign attacks on Islam as a religion that "hates us." We hear about his visit to Saudi Arabia and what's at stake for the rest of his foreign excursion.